CEO Spotlight

DuPont's Kullman: "Never Declare Victory"

How the financial crisis spurred the DuPont chief to reinvent the 212-year-old company—and drive the stock price higher.

If not for the encouragement of a high school history teacher who noted his student's skill in mathematics, Ellen Kullman might never have become a mechanical engineer, let alone chief executive of E.I. du Pont de Nemours. That would have been unfortunate for the profession, and doubly so for DuPont.

Kullman, 58, who was named CEO in 2009, has refashioned the 212-year-old chemicals maker into a fast-growing leader in agriculture and nutrition, advanced materials, and industrial biosciences. Her focus on harnessing science...